TY - JOUR A1 - Sodoudi, Forough A1 - Yuan, Xiaohui A1 - Kind, Rainer A1 - Lebedev, Sergei A1 - Adam, Joanne M-C. A1 - Kästle, Emanuel A1 - Tilmann, Frederik T1 - Seismic evidence for stratification in composition and anisotropic fabric within the thick lithosphere of Kalahari Craton JF - Geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems N2 - Based on joint consideration of S receiver functions and surface-wave anisotropy we present evidence for the existence of a thick and layered lithosphere beneath the Kalahari Craton. Our results show that frozen-in anisotropy and compositional changes can generate sharp Mid-Lithospheric Discontinuities (MLD) at depths of 85 and 150-200 km, respectively. We found that a 50 km thick anisotropic layer, containing 3% S wave anisotropy and with a fast-velocity axis different from that in the layer beneath, can account for the first MLD at about 85 km depth. Significant correlation between the depths of an apparent boundary separating the depleted and metasomatised lithosphere, as inferred from chemical tomography, and those of our second MLD led us to characterize it as a compositional boundary, most likely due to the modification of the cratonic mantle lithosphere by magma infiltration. The deepening of this boundary from 150 to 200 km is spatially correlated with the surficial expression of the Thabazimbi-Murchison Lineament (TML), implying that the TML isolates the lithosphere of the Limpopo terrane from that of the ancient Kaapvaal terrane. The largest velocity contrast (3.6-4.7%) is observed at a boundary located at depths of 260-280 km beneath the Archean domains and the older Proterozoic belt. This boundary most likely represents the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, which shallows to about 200 km beneath the younger Proterozoic belt. Thus, the Kalahari lithosphere may have survived multiple episodes of intense magmatism and collisional rifting during the billions of years of its history, which left their imprint in its internal layering. KW - lithospheric layering KW - S receiver functions Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GC004955 SN - 1525-2027 VL - 14 IS - 12 SP - 5393 EP - 5412 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mohsen, Ayman A1 - Kind, Rainer A1 - Sobolev, Stephan Vladimir A1 - Weber, Michael T1 - Thickness of the lithosphere east of the Dead Sea Transform JF - Geophysical journal international N2 - We use the S receiver function method to study the lithosphere at the Dead Sea Transform (DST). A temporary network of 22 seismic broad-band stations was operated on both sides of the DST from 2000 to 2001 as part of the DESERT project. We also used data from six additional permanent broad-band seismic stations at the DST and in the surrounding area, that is, in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Cyprus. Clear S-to-P converted phases from the crust-mantle boundary (Moho) and a deeper discontinuity, which we interpret as lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) have been observed. The Moho depth (30-38 km) obtained from S receiver functions agrees well with the results from P receiver functions and other geophysical data. We observe thinning of the lithosphere on the eastern side of the DST from 80 km in the north of the Dead Sea to about 65 km at the Gulf of Aqaba. On the western side of the DST, the few data indicate a thin LAB of about 65 km. For comparison, we found a 90-km-thick lithosphere in eastern Turkey and a 160-km-thick lithosphere under the Arabian shield, respectively. These observations support previous suggestions, based on xenolith data, heat flow observations, regional uplift history and geodynamic modelling, that the lithosphere around DST has been significantly thinned in the Late Cenozoic, likely following rifting and spreading of the Red Sea. KW - Dead Sea Transform KW - S receiver functions KW - thickness of the lithosphere Y1 - 2006 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03185.x SN - 0956-540X SN - 1365-246X VL - 167 IS - 2 SP - 845 EP - 852 PB - Blackwell CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mohsen, Ayman A1 - Asch, Günter A1 - Kind, Rainer A1 - Mechie, James A1 - Weber, Michael H. T1 - The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary in the eastern part of the Dead Sea Basin (DSB) from S-to-P receiver functions JF - Arabian journal of geosciences N2 - Clear S-to-P converted waves from the crust-mantle boundary (Moho) and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) have been observed on the eastern part of the Dead Sea Basin (DSB), and are used for the determination of the depth of the Moho and the LAB. A temporary network consisting of 18 seismic broad-band stations was operated in the DSB region as part of the DEad Sea Integrated REsearch project for 1.5 years beginning in September 2006. The obtained Moho depth (similar to 35 km) from S-to-P receiver functions agrees well with the results from P-to-S receiver functions and other geophysical data. The thickness of the lithosphere on the eastern part of the DSB is about 75 km. The results obtained here support and confirm previous studies, based on xenolith data, geodynamic modeling, heat flow observations, and S-to-P receiver functions. Therefore, the lithosphere on the eastern part of the DSB and along Wadi Araba has been thinned in the Late Cenozoic, following rifting and spreading of the Red Sea. The thinning of the lithosphere occurred without a concomitant change in the crustal thickness and thus an upwelling of the asthenosphere in the study area is invoked as the cause of the lithosphere thinning. KW - Dead Sea basin KW - S receiver functions KW - Lithosphere Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-011-0503-4 SN - 1866-7511 SN - 1866-7538 VL - 6 IS - 7 SP - 2343 EP - 2350 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg ER -